EHS had two visitors today, Mr. Tyler Balfierra  and Ms. Catelynn Lowell, who got pregnant at 16 with daughter Carly and were cast on the MTV show “Teen Mom,” Nov. 9.  They spoke about adoption to Child Development students today with their counselor Mrs. Dawn Baker from Bethany Christian Services, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing children’s lives through adoption services.

Mr. Balfierra and Ms. Lowell wanted to educate young listeners about their story and how adoption was the right choice for them.  Mr. Balfierra stressed that when he became a parent, he wanted to give his daughter the best life possible.

“Put the child first. Make whatever hard decisions you’re going to have to make,” Mr. Balfierra said.  “No matter what, there are hard decisions, but do whatever is best for the child.”

Bethany Christian Services made their visit at EHS possible.

“We have a local Bethany office, and we try to go to as many high schools as possible,” Mrs. Dawn Baker said. “We go around and talk about adoption and educate kids and teens about it.”

Ms. Lowell gave advice for young girls who may find themselves pregnant and scared like she was. Students listened to their story and left with more knowledge about adoption and teenage pregnancy.

“Find a safe person to talk to, like a counselor or a safe person at home you can trust,”  Ms. Lowell said. “I got looks all the time, but I knew in my heart what I was doing and that mattered most. I didn’t care what people thought because I  was going to remain positive.”